The introduction of a tourist tax in the form of 300 baht, ie. about 260 hryvnias, which should affect “land” tourists, is postponed. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports said they needed more time to work on the issue, Thai media reported.
The issue of entry fees was discussed at a cabinet meeting this week, but the ministry withdrew the proposal. Minister of Tourism and Sports Fiphat Ratchakitprakarn explained that the issue of charging tourists arriving by land requires further study: “We need to determine whether the fee should be less than 300 baht (about 260 hryvnias) because the average length of stay these trips are only 1-2 nights.
According to the official, the ministry plans to resubmit the proposal to the Cabinet of Ministers within the next two months, and the collection of duties will begin 90 days after publication in the royal newspaper. In other words, tourists going to Thailand shortly across the land border will not be affected by the new tourist tax. The start date of the collection is likely to be postponed until the 4th quarter of this year or the 1st quarter of 2023.
Regarding the termination of the Thailand Pass for foreign visitors from July 1, this proposal will be discussed on June 17 between the Ministry and the Covid-19 Situation Management Center. “The abandonment of the Thailand Pass system means that tourists no longer need to buy travel insurance, which should help make travel more comfortable,” the newspaper said.